A nightmare fielding error by Aaron Judge and Harrison Bader extends the inning, allowing the Astros’ Ches McCormick to hit a TWO-RUN homer and put the Yankees on the brink of elimination
New York Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Harrison Bader each hit a home run error during the second inning of Game 3 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros.
In the second inning, the duo didn’t get along on a routine fly ball between them that nearly collided in right-center field.
With two outs and New York ace Gerrit Cole almost through the inning, Christian Vazquez sent a fly ball to right-center field.
Center fielder Garrison Bader and right fielder Aaron Judge nearly collide while chasing a fly ball
Both Judge and Bader chased the first fly ball, but a misunderstanding between the pair meant they narrowly avoided a collision.
The umpire stepped in front of Bader as he was about to catch him, causing the error as, after narrowly avoiding a collision, Bader was unable to secure the ball as the ball bounced out of his glove.
The error put catcher Vazquez on first base with two outs instead of being retired to end the inning.
The nightmare got complicated in the next position when center fielder Ches McCormick hit a two-run home run to right field in the next position.
Bader can’t keep the ball in his glove after narrowly avoiding a collision with Judge
McCormick, the No. 9 hitter, hit a fastball 335 feet from the opposite field that went into the short right-field porch and bounced into the seats for his second home run of the series.
New York, which last reached the World Series in 2009, is on the brink of elimination against Houston for the fourth time in eight seasons. After sprinting to a 61-23 record in early July, the Yankees went 38-40 the rest of the way and made the playoffs.
Judge, who set an AL record with 62 home runs during the regular season, went 0 for 4 and slumped to .156 with 14 strikeouts and three RBI in the postseason, including 1 for 12 against the Astros.
New York is on the brink of elimination against Houston for the fourth time in eight seasons
Some Yankees fans, already angry after two losses in Houston, booed star slugger Judge after a pair of strikeouts and jeered manager Aaron Boone during pregame introductions.
The 106-win Astros, trying for a second straight AL pennant, improved to 6-0 in this postseason. On the verge of reaching the World Series for the fourth time in six years, manager Dusty Baker’s team looks to close out the series Sunday night when Lance McCullers Jr. starts against Nestor Cortes.
Only once in major league history has a team overcome a 3-0 postseason series deficit, Boston vs. the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.
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